After years of doing interviews, you may feel like it’s time to refresh some of your interview questions. Or maybe you are new with conducting interviews for new hires and need some advice on which questions to ask.
To help clear up some common confusion, there are some questions that are must-asks and some that you need to steer clear from. The biggest reason to ask certain questions are to find the best fit for your open position. On the other hand, legal reasons are the biggest concern when knowing which questions to avoid.
Two Must-Ask Questions in an Interview
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What prompted you to apply for this job? What interested you most about this position?
The goal of this question to find out what the candidate is excited about regarding your open position. Is it salary? Do their values align with your company’s? Are the interested in expanding their experience and skill set by challenging themselves with new responsibilities. The answer to this question will help you discover what motivates the candidate.
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What was your greatest achievement at work?
The applicant’s answer sheds a lot of light on what their values. It also uncovers what they consider to be an achievement. These are both very important pieces of information. You can also follow-up with asking the candidate what they feel are their most important values if you feel that you didn’t get an idea.
Two Questions to Avoid in an Interview
- Avoid any questions that have to do with ethnicity, race, or religious views. Asking these questions violate laws that protect civil rights and immigration issues. An (uncommon) exception would be if a religious organization was hiring and the employee would need to have similar views to be competent in that position.
- It’s not OK to ask about any disabilities, current or future pregnancies, or childcare arrangements. It’s goes against the American Disabilities Act for an employer to ask a candidate to reveal any disabilities. Usually, it pertains to females, but asking questions about children is a tricky situation because it can look as though there’s discrimination against families or parents in the workforce.
Need More Guidance?
If you want some more help in planning successful interviews to find the right candidate for your job, contact Integrity Staffing.
